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Allosoph
This page pertains to the collaborative "Thrive Universe" project, and is not necessarily part of Thrive's official development. More information here The Allosoph (Allosophus Prudens, "Another Skillful Intelligent"), historically known as Ak, plural Ama, are a sentient species of bilateral vertebrates indigenous to planet Dengea. Anatomy & Physiology Allosoph typically stand 1.8 to 2.3 meters (roughly 6 to 7.5 feet) tall. The Allosoph evolved to walk upright to forage the leafy tree canopies. The shock-absorbing bones of their quadruped ancestors forks at the elbow, forming one pair of forearms facing forwards and another pair facing backwards. Allosoph use stridulatory membranes for communication. Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. The mechanism is tone structure with a well-defined lip, ridge, or nodules (the "scraper" or plectrum) being moved across a finely-ridged surface (the "file" or stridulitrum—sometimes called the pars stridens) or vice versa, and vibrating as it does so, like the dragging of a phonograph needle across a vinyl record. The allosoph had no need to develop vocal cords, which sadly means humans cannot enunciate allosoph languages, making face-to-face communication difficult. The Allosoph have elongated eye stalks with large corneas on the bottom half. They are primarily a dinurnal species and as such possess a camouflaged dark complexion for sleeping. The Allosoph are Folivores, adapted to eating leaves. However they only eat deciduous leaves, which grow seasonally. These plants were eventually domesticated and cultivated circa 13,000 BC. Leaves are high in cellulose, requiring a longer gestation period to digest. Homeworld The Allosoph are indigenous to the Planet Dengea (greek "Not Earth"), known in their language as H'Ama'Dun (The Mortal World). The planet has six continents: Kentrogea in the middle, Anatoligea to the East and the Voranesia archipelago to the north. The landmass Dycegea can be divided into 3 continents: Panodytikis to the north, Mesodytikis in the center, and Katodytikis located south. Orbiting the planet Dengea is the Tlo'Ahiya (White Arch) Ring System. In Allosoph Mythology the ring is believed to be the home of the sky diety Dy'Essa. Dengea also has two moons: Cha and Su. Globe History The Allosoph Ancestors originated from the Megalodasos Rainforest in Eastern Dycegea 200,000 years ago, and gradually colonized the rest of the planet. The allosoph ancestors crossed the Southern ice sheet, reaching the Anatoligea continent 35,000 years ago.The first allosoph neolithic settlements appeared 8,000 yrs ago in the fertile Hesperides River Valley on the Dycegea continent. Modern Allosoph history begins with the Shwidevma Empire, an archipelago off the coast of Dycegea. They were largely isolationist but desired greater trade, and began to establish maritime colonies along the west coast of the continent, leading to the lucrative trade of the south. The Shwidevma were not merciful to the peoples they conquered, and those who lived on the west coast retreated east beyond the mountains, into the great Ad'Eji Desert. The refugees clashed with the local tribes for territory. Eventually one man, the Xhi, forced all the rival chieftains to submit under his rule. The peoples from the west brought with them their culture, language and religion. The people beyond the mountains prophecized the son of their god, Dy'Essa, would conquer the world. The Xhi was clever and practiced the foreigners customs, eventually earning their trust and converting to the religion itself. The problem was that the barren desert they called home could not supply the locals and refugees with food, so the Xhi solved that problem with a solution: by expanding eastwards, across the great plains, looking for grain and agriculture. After the 15-year military campaign to capture irritable land, the Xhi turned his attention west to the sacred mountains. He send his armies to capture the holy land. The Xhi's army conquered the mighty empires of the East, controlling the trade routes from North to South. This made the Xhi immensely rich and powerful. The religion also spread along the trade routes, and foreign rulers converted to the religion. By the 9th century AD Anudanima was the dominant religion of the continent, which soon spread with the advent of maritime colonies. The Hawking Mission Telescope came into open communication with the Allosoph in 2157 AD. Society According to mythology the sky is the progenitor of gravity, the force that causes the Allosoph and all of life on Dengea to gravitate toward the surface. It was believed that gravity was a mortal restraint, inflicted on mortals to prevent them from visiting the heavens freely. That is why the allosophi word for "mortal," is also "pushed," they are being pushed down to the surface. In contrast those exalted by the gods are known as the elevated, or Xhi. The Xhi are the highest in the allosophi hierarchy, believed to be the descendants of the Sky god Dy'Essa. Meteorology and Astronomy were of utmost importance in Anudanima religion. The research invested in these fields led to early discoveries in aeronautics. All aircraft are ordained by the emperor before takeoff, praying for benevolence from Dy'Essa. There is a superstition that aircraft will not fly without the god's consent, so the ritual is of utmost importance. Language: Click here for English-Allosoph Dictionary Caste System: Xhi: Emperor, a hereditary monarch appointed by his predecessor, the living incarnation of the Sky god Dy'Essa Be'Ama'Dy'Essa: those in relation to the royal family, believed to be the descendants of Dy'Essa. Incest is a sin, so the royalty must marry those from the mortal class, usually someone from the Ak'Dani caste. Males hold political office, while females are priestesses. Only males are authorized to have children, females must remain virgins. Their patron god is Dy'Essa, the king of the gods and god of the skies. Ak'Dani: Mortal warriors, enlisted in the emperor's military. The best veterans are married off to members of the Be'Ama'Dy'Essa royal family. Their patron god is Dy'Chavab, god of defense and protection. Ak'Nir: Engineers, those who create machines and structures which defy the forces of gravity. To the allosoph skyscrapers are analogous to cathedrals: holy, sacred temples. Tall monuments are erected to honor Dy'Essa and the royal family. Their patron god is Dy'Oingk, god of creation and diligence. Ak'Rab: Those who refuse to enlist in the military or formal education are viewed with contempt. The Ak'Byn are viewed as heretics, and to prevent them from speaking dissent against the royalty their mantles are amputated from their scalps, rendering them mute. This makes them both visibly marked for their treason and prevents them from spreading dissent and opposition. Rab is also a profanity, used to slander those one dislikes. * Shama'Rab: Ak'Rabs seeking forgiveness from the Xhi Dynasty. They are indentured servants to the Be'Ama'Dy'Essa, coerced to perform tedious and often dangerous jobs in society. Female Shama'Rab often become courtesans for the Xhi aristocracy, while males are usually enlisted into the military, often the first o be sent to battle to spare the Ak'Dani from unnecessary fatalities. A Shama'Rab can be promoted to the higher castes of society once they are absolved of their sins by the nobility. Religions: Anudanima or "The Devout Followers," is the largest religion of Dengea, with 4.5 million adherents. It is a henotheistic faith that worships the Sky god Dy'Essa, the patron god of the allosoph. The Allosophi royal family claim to be the descendants of Dy'Essa. Ama'Sati or "Honest People" believe the royal family to be illegitimate because Mahila, the mother to the Xhi Dynasty, was not married to Dy'Essa and had an adulterous relationship. They believe the imperial family have made a mockery of the goddess Dy'Nei, wife of Dy'Essa, and that the royals are heretics, or Ak'Rabs. Rab'Xhi or "Rebel Emperors," is a cult founded by Ak'Rabs who believe the emperor has no true authority and that everyone is equal under Dy'Essa. They question the validity of the church and believe the royal family lied of their inheritance, insisting the last heir in the Dy'Essa bloodline died millennia ago.